Studying the impact at the population level of Walmart and Humana's partnership on nutrition, health, and health care costs

The Foundation's initiative, Research on Work, Organization and Well-Being, was designed to: (1) fund research to better understand the private sector's role in improving economic well-being and community outcomes; (2) build and disseminate evidence to catalyze future private-sector policies and innovations; and (3) spur external efforts to spread and fund these and similar future Culture of Health-related innovations.The goal of this project is to examine whether labeling and incentivizing the purchase of healthy foods has changed consumers' purchasing behavior at Walmart and has ultimately improved health and lowered health care costs, with the objective of informing policymakers and other businesses considering similar approaches. In 2012, Walmart began labeling foods that met strict criteria for nutrition and health with bright green labels and the words 'Great For You' (G4Y). Through a partnership with the Go365 (formerly called HumanaVitality) wellness and rewards program, Humana members who purchased G4Y labeled foods at Walmart could receive a 5 percent rebate applied to the transaction and up to a 50 percent rebate related to additional program participation. This study will employ several sources of data, including transactional data from Walmart and health-screening data from Go365, using quantitative methods to assess whether the G4Y initiative: (1) shifted consumers' product selection and the composition of their grocery baskets; (2) incentivized dietary changes over time; (3) improved consumers' health; and/or (4) lowered their annual health expenditures. Deliverables will include at least one manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Additionally, the researchers will present findings at national research meetings and to other stakeholder audiences, as appropriate, including the business sector and federal and state policymakers.